Io vorrei innanzi tutto ringraziare Marcello Cingolani per the invitation to this presentation, its support for the National League for the Defence of the dog, but especially for introducing me to this little book of De Amicis, entitled "My last friend," with reference to the affectionate little dog Dick, the only to be left next to the writer in a difficult time in his life, after his mother's death, the suicide of her son Furio and separation from his wife.
For me it was really a discovery, because De Amicis is a writer very far from the world of animals, so that Professor Pino Boero, who teaches children's literature and reading pedagogy at the Faculty of Education 's University Genoa, find a real "line De Amicis," which contrasts with the "line Collodi. This fills "The Adventures of Pinocchio" of animals that were the focus of the stage of life (the cat and the fox, the court gorilla, the donkey, cricket, dog-fish), while De Amicis generally reduces the role of animals to the banal. In the book "Heart" are repeated phrases such as "looked like a mad dog", "Class is not a dog" Franti is driven "like a dog." And if the cat is named, it is only because Coretti had the cat's fur cap.
Here, this is the "line of De Amicis. Line that has won over that of Collodi, despite the fact that children's literature, as well as being a mirror of the contemporary time, that should also be able to anticipate new phase of history and to overcome all kinds of prejudices, including those toward animals.
But in this little book we find a different De Amicis. A De Amicis which is not that the book "Heart", which is associated with immediately, as rightly said Danilo Mainardi in the preface. We find that a
De Amicis is not ashamed to admit that the sleepless nights when he is haunted by thoughts of the past and those "in the present and the future" finds refuge just thinking about her dog. De Amicis says, turning to his dog: "In the thought of you I find refuge, and you give me the sight of the human spectrum, and to retain your image, and I forget racquet." This is a phrase with which De Amicis even seems to want to place well beyond that fanaticism which sometimes are accused supporters of animal rights, guilty of wanting "more good for animals and men."
There is another point that deserves emphasis. De Amicis writes: "I forget what I took, when I think I have made him an advantage by giving it what I gave. Poor Dick! No, I do not beneficial, do not che darti quello che ti vien di diritto. Io ti debbo bene l’alimento, poiché ti impedisco d’andartelo a cercare per il mondo, come fanno i tuoi fratelli senza padrone. Ti debbo bene delle cure e delle carezze, poiché t’ho chiuso in una prigione, e t’ho imposto un orario, una disciplina, un collare, una museruola, e mille soggezioni e riguardi che riducono la tua vita come quella d’un collegiale”
Ecco dunque che scopriamo una inaspettata sensibilità etologica. De Amicis comprende quali sono le reali esigenze del cane, e considera il cibo e le cure un indennizzo per tutto ciò di cui il cane è stato privato. E non è solo una sensibilità etologica. E’ una vera e propria empatia tra lo scrittore e il suo cane. Uno slancio che porta De Amicis a dire, rivolgendosi al suo cane. “Se sapessi quanto m’affatica il pensiero per misurare la distanza che corre fra di noi, e scoprire la tua riposta natura, e quella dei legami che ci congiungono e delle barriere che ci separano”. Ecco, qui non c’è trucco e non c’è inganno: lo scrittore guarda il cane e coglie la contiguità tra le loro vite.
Inaspettatamente, proprio in De Amicis, quello della linea da contrapporre alla linea Collodi, si infrange quel tabù di una cultura millenaria, stratificatasi ad opera del pensiero dominante della nostra storia filosofico - religiosa, che ha voluto costruire una barriera tra noi e gli altri animali.
This barrier, like many others we build towards those who feel "different", is really fragile. And in fact, whenever it is shown that the balance of power will come to flip, we're ready to break down these barriers. Let me give an example, paying attention to the phenomena of dumping, which affects both the western economies, when it is going to plant our businesses in underdeveloped countries, which provide labor at ridiculous prices, it is done in the name the principles of liberalism. It 'just go where the labor is cheap, because the laws of the market drives us to optimize the cost / benefit ratio. When it happens that "they", learned know-how, and found the means to start their businesses, bring products to market that we compete at lower prices, then those laws of the market that the first was good, not good anymore. One begins to highlight the failure to meet standards regarding workers' rights, which can produce the goods at these prices as underpaid and lack the safeguards we have in developed countries, and then they start talking of dumping and the need to introduce protectionist tool, by duties on imports of those products. This means altering the free market, and disavowing the principles. Why does this happen? Why is it that "we" are becoming “loro”, e quello che prima veniva professata come regola generale ora non va più bene, perché non va bene per “noi”.
Noi siamo i sostenitori di questa battaglia culturale, in difesa degli ultimi. Di coloro che oggi sono macellati nei campi di concentramento degli animali destinati ad uso allevamento o pelletteria, di coloro che sono utilizzati a milioni nei laboratori per test di nessuna rilevanza scientifica. E da oggi sappiamo che anche De Amicis avrebbe sostenuto questa battaglia.
For me it was really a discovery, because De Amicis is a writer very far from the world of animals, so that Professor Pino Boero, who teaches children's literature and reading pedagogy at the Faculty of Education 's University Genoa, find a real "line De Amicis," which contrasts with the "line Collodi. This fills "The Adventures of Pinocchio" of animals that were the focus of the stage of life (the cat and the fox, the court gorilla, the donkey, cricket, dog-fish), while De Amicis generally reduces the role of animals to the banal. In the book "Heart" are repeated phrases such as "looked like a mad dog", "Class is not a dog" Franti is driven "like a dog." And if the cat is named, it is only because Coretti had the cat's fur cap.
Here, this is the "line of De Amicis. Line that has won over that of Collodi, despite the fact that children's literature, as well as being a mirror of the contemporary time, that should also be able to anticipate new phase of history and to overcome all kinds of prejudices, including those toward animals.
But in this little book we find a different De Amicis. A De Amicis which is not that the book "Heart", which is associated with immediately, as rightly said Danilo Mainardi in the preface. We find that a
De Amicis is not ashamed to admit that the sleepless nights when he is haunted by thoughts of the past and those "in the present and the future" finds refuge just thinking about her dog. De Amicis says, turning to his dog: "In the thought of you I find refuge, and you give me the sight of the human spectrum, and to retain your image, and I forget racquet." This is a phrase with which De Amicis even seems to want to place well beyond that fanaticism which sometimes are accused supporters of animal rights, guilty of wanting "more good for animals and men."
There is another point that deserves emphasis. De Amicis writes: "I forget what I took, when I think I have made him an advantage by giving it what I gave. Poor Dick! No, I do not beneficial, do not che darti quello che ti vien di diritto. Io ti debbo bene l’alimento, poiché ti impedisco d’andartelo a cercare per il mondo, come fanno i tuoi fratelli senza padrone. Ti debbo bene delle cure e delle carezze, poiché t’ho chiuso in una prigione, e t’ho imposto un orario, una disciplina, un collare, una museruola, e mille soggezioni e riguardi che riducono la tua vita come quella d’un collegiale”
Ecco dunque che scopriamo una inaspettata sensibilità etologica. De Amicis comprende quali sono le reali esigenze del cane, e considera il cibo e le cure un indennizzo per tutto ciò di cui il cane è stato privato. E non è solo una sensibilità etologica. E’ una vera e propria empatia tra lo scrittore e il suo cane. Uno slancio che porta De Amicis a dire, rivolgendosi al suo cane. “Se sapessi quanto m’affatica il pensiero per misurare la distanza che corre fra di noi, e scoprire la tua riposta natura, e quella dei legami che ci congiungono e delle barriere che ci separano”. Ecco, qui non c’è trucco e non c’è inganno: lo scrittore guarda il cane e coglie la contiguità tra le loro vite.
Inaspettatamente, proprio in De Amicis, quello della linea da contrapporre alla linea Collodi, si infrange quel tabù di una cultura millenaria, stratificatasi ad opera del pensiero dominante della nostra storia filosofico - religiosa, che ha voluto costruire una barriera tra noi e gli altri animali.
This barrier, like many others we build towards those who feel "different", is really fragile. And in fact, whenever it is shown that the balance of power will come to flip, we're ready to break down these barriers. Let me give an example, paying attention to the phenomena of dumping, which affects both the western economies, when it is going to plant our businesses in underdeveloped countries, which provide labor at ridiculous prices, it is done in the name the principles of liberalism. It 'just go where the labor is cheap, because the laws of the market drives us to optimize the cost / benefit ratio. When it happens that "they", learned know-how, and found the means to start their businesses, bring products to market that we compete at lower prices, then those laws of the market that the first was good, not good anymore. One begins to highlight the failure to meet standards regarding workers' rights, which can produce the goods at these prices as underpaid and lack the safeguards we have in developed countries, and then they start talking of dumping and the need to introduce protectionist tool, by duties on imports of those products. This means altering the free market, and disavowing the principles. Why does this happen? Why is it that "we" are becoming “loro”, e quello che prima veniva professata come regola generale ora non va più bene, perché non va bene per “noi”.
Noi siamo i sostenitori di questa battaglia culturale, in difesa degli ultimi. Di coloro che oggi sono macellati nei campi di concentramento degli animali destinati ad uso allevamento o pelletteria, di coloro che sono utilizzati a milioni nei laboratori per test di nessuna rilevanza scientifica. E da oggi sappiamo che anche De Amicis avrebbe sostenuto questa battaglia.
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